Hair singeing device



Patented Dec. 20, 1949 HAIR SINGEING DEVICE George H. Bradley,

Delavan, Wis., assignor of one-half to H. L. Doudna, Delavan, Wis. Appiication October 2, 1947, Serial No. 777,488 Claims. (Cl. 219-29) The present invention relates to hair singeing devices, and the object of the invention is a new and improved device of this character.

According to the preferred embodiment of the invention it comprises a comb, molded of suitable plastic material and having a back or body portion with an integrally formed handle. Associated with the teeth of the comb, which may be made of stiff wire, there is a resistance wire adapted to be heated by low voltage current supplied from a stepdown transformer. The device is connected with the transformer by a flexible cord and the supply of power to the resistance wire is controlled by means of a switch located in the handle.

The invention and various features thereof will be described. more in detail in the ensuing specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. l is a side or plan view of the comb, showing also the transformer and connecting cords;

Fig. 2 is a top or back View of the comb;

Fig. 3 is a View taken from above in Fig. 2, with the cover for the handle cavity removed and the body of the comb shown in section;

i is a section on the line 5-5, Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5-5, Fig. l; and

Fig. 6 is a partial section on the line 5-6, Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawing, the reference character It indicates the body of the comb, while the handle is indicated at H. These parts are preferably molded. in one piece from suitable synthetic plastic material. The handle H has a cavity l3 therein, as seen in Fig. 3, which is closed by a cover it, Fig. 2. The cover 52 forms part of the handle and is held in place by means of a screw It and two screws such as l5, which are threaded into bosses i6, H, and 18.

The teeth of the comb are indicated at 253 in Figs. 1 and 3. They are preferably made of stiff wire, such as piano wire, although other material could be used. As shown in Fig. i, each tooth is formed of a single piece of wire and is shaped somewhat like a hairpin, except that the wire sections are considerably closer together than the sections 24. The ends of the latter sections are embedded in the body it of the comb.

.he hair singeing element 23 is a wire about .930 inch in diameter and made of Nichrome or other suitable resistance material. One end of the wire is secured to a tensioning device comprising a piece of tubing 25 inserted in a cylindrical head 26. The wire 23 extends into the tubing 25 and may be secured by soldering. The

2 tube 25 extends through the end of handle H and is provided with a spring 2? which is compressed between the inner wall of the recess in the handle and the head 26.

The other end of the wire 23 is secured to a heavy conductor 25 which is embedded in the body !B of the comb. lhe projecting end 2! of conductor 25 preferably has a short longitudinal hole drilled therein intersected by a crossbore, thus providing for ready attachment of the wire 23. The connection should be soldered to insure good conductivity.

The conductor 25 not only provides a return connection for wire 23 but also acts as reinforcement for the body of the comb and renders the same less liable to breakage. It is large enough so that it is not perceptibly heated by the current which heats wire 23.

The switch by means of which the supply of current to the singeing wire 23 is controlled can be seen in Fig. 3, but is best shown in Fig. 6. It comprises a fixed contact member 28 and a movable contact member 29. The fixed contact member 28 and the terminal 33, to which conductor 2 is connected, are secured on the ledge 35 in the handle by a screw 3%. The movable contact member 29 is secured on another ledge 36 by screws 32 and 33. The terminal Si is clamped against ledge 36 underneath the contact member 29.

The movable contact member 23 is adjusted so that it normaily assumes the position in which it is shown in 6. In this position the switch is open, that is, contact member 2% is out of engagement with contact member 28. The switch is closed by means of a button 3'? secured to contact member 29 as shown and projecting through an opening in the handle.

The transformer for supplying current to the comb is indicated at ts and comprises the usual iron core and primary and secondary windings enclosed in a suitable housing as shown. The primary winding will ordinarily be wound for operation on volt commercial alternating current and is connected to a plug 2-2 by means of a two conductor cord ii. The secondary winding should be designed for an output voltage of about 6 volts and is connected to a pair of ter minals such as 3. The comb is connected to the secondary winding of the transformer by the cord comprising conductors l5 and 16, which at the transformer end are secured to the said terminals i3. At the other end of the cord, conduotor 15 is connected to terminal 34 in the switch while conductor 46 is connected to a pin projecting from the head 26 of the singeing Wire tensioning device.

Before the comb is to be used for a hair singeing operation the plug ti should be inserted in a convenient outlet so as to supply power to the transformer 3b. The handle of the comb may then be grasped in the right hand, with the thumb on the button 3? for easy operation of the switch.

When the switch is closed a circuit is completed which may be traced from one terminal 33 of the transformer t? by way of conductor 35, terminal 3t, contact member 2%, contact member terminal 30, conductor 24, singeing wire 23, tensioning device 2525, pin ll, and conductor 5 3 to the other terminal $3 of the transformer. Current flow over this circuit very quickly heats the wire 23, which assumes a bright red color within about 2 or 3 seconds. When the switch is opened the circuit is broken and wire 23 quickly cools. Needless to say the output voltage of the transformer should be of the correct value to quickly heat wire 23 to a singeing temperature but should not be high enough to overheat and destroy it. For a Nichrome wire having a diameter of .030 inch, an output voltage of 6 volts has been found to give satisfactory results.

The singeing operation is carried out by suitable manipulation of the comb through the hair of the customer, as will be readily understood. Where the hair is short the device is used much an ordinary comb, holding it with the teeth perpendicular to the head of the oust or at a slight angle thereto, and drawing tl e comb baci: and forth so as to bring the ends of th hairs in contact with the singeing wire. The operation is facilitated by the shape of teeth, characterized by a con iiction toward the 10* or end and a wide spacing ill vicinity of the singeing 1 As the hairs leave the constricted portions of the teeth the ends seem to separate and curl or bend into tl e space surrounding the wire and into contact w h it. Where the hair is long an ordinary comb may be used to advantage with the left hand to raise the hair and bring it into position i or application of the singeing comb. The operation will vary somewhat depending on the condition and texture of the of each customer, but with a little experience the operator will be able to adjust the procedure to each case and will have no d fficulty in seer "ing satisfactory results.

The invention having been described that which is believed to be new and for which. the protection of Letters Patent is desired will be pointed out in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A hair singeing device comprising a comb having a handle and a tooth supporting body, wire teeth supported on said body in parallel spaced relation, each tooth comprising a single wire folded at the center to form generally paral1e1 side sections, the ends of which are embedded in said body, said side sections being close together near the end of the tooth and more Widely spaced adjacent said body, a siugeing wire suppcr on said body and handle and extending ween the side sections of each tooth at points wlziere said side sections are widely spaced, and means for supplying current to said wire to heat the same.

2. A hair siugeing device comprising a comb having a handle an integrally formed body molded from plastic material, said handle having a cavity therein and said body having an offset at the end opposite said handle, a wire tensioning device located in said cavity, a singeing wire stretched between said offset and said tensioning device, wire teeth projecting from said body beyond said singeing wire and encompassing the same in front and rear, and a circuit for heating wire including a switch located in the cavity in said handle, said circuit also including a conductor connected to said sin'geing Wire at said offset and extending through said body to said switch.

3. A hair singeing device comprising a comb having a handle and a tooth supporting body molded of plastic material, a row of spaced wire teeth projecting from said body and individually supported thereon, each tooth being formed of a single piece of wire bent to the general shape of a hairpin, each tooth having its open end embedded in said body and insulated from the other teeth by the plastic material of which said body is com posed, a singeing wire extending parallel to said body be two side sections of each tooth, ans including a switch in said wire.

singeing device comprising a comb handle and an integrally formed solid 13 miperforate body molded of plastic material, wire 39 teeth ibcdded in said body and individually suppo in spaced relation solely by the plastic 1 which the said body is composed, each v of a single piece of wire and generally parallel sections projecting from said body and joined together outside said by a curved section, a singeing wire extendbody between the parallel ions of each tooth, means for supporting said wire, including means for maintaining it under tension, and means for connecting said singeing wire in an electrical circuit.

A hair singeing device comprising a comb having a handle ans a tooth supporting body, said body having an offset at the end opposite said handle, a wire tensioning device located in said handle, a singeing wire stretched between said or set and. said tensioning device, a row of wire projecting from said body, each tooth com- .g a i 1 ire folded to form a loop dis-- ingein wire and side sections n said loop and body on opposite ing wire to encompass the same and rear, a circuit for heating said wire a conduct-or connected to the wire at set and extent through said body to ndle, a switch located in said handle for closing said circuit, said handle being recessed to provide for enclosing said ten-sloping device and circuit elements including said switch.

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